Befrienders Skye and case study

This is one of a series of case studies showing the kind of evidence organisations collect to prove their contribution to tackling health inequalities.

Befrienders have used “Recognising our rich tapestry: measuring the contribution of third sector organisations to tackling health inequalities” to explain and prove how their service contributes to tackling health inequalities.

Health inequalities are the unfair differences in people’s health which lead to differences in life expectancy between the most and least disadvantaged people in .

Introduction About Befrienders Skye and Lochalsh Evaluation Support Scotland (ESS) Befrienders Skye and Lochalsh is managed developed by Skye and Lochalsh Council for Voluntary Recognising our Organisations. The service provides face to rich tapestry in face and telephone befriending services, as collaboration with well as tailored activities to reconnect third sector people to their communities. organisations, sector intermediaries and Befrienders Skye and Lochalsh is a very commissioners. This small, local project. One part-time co- work was funded by ordinator supports 27 clients and 23 Public Health Scotland. The resource volunteers, providing around 60 hours of intends to help: befriending contact a month. • third sector organisations explain to funders and partners how their work While the service is open to anyone over 18 contributes to impacting on in the Skye, Lochalsh and inequalities region of the Highlands people using the • funders and commissioners better service tend to be those who are socially understand better the third sector’s isolated due to loss or lack of social contribution networks.

Section 1 of this case study includes a logic model which explains how Befrienders Skye and Lochalsh’s work links to tackling health inequalities.

Section 2 sets out evidence to prove this.

SECTION 1 – Explaining the links to health inequalities

This logic model explains who Befrienders Skye and Lochalsh reaches, roles the service plays, activities, outcomes the service achieves in the short term and how these outcomes contribute to strategic priorities.

Groups of Contributing to these Our roles are Our activities are... Short term Which contributes people we medium term to... outcomes to reach outcomes

Adults who are Reduce social • The provision of a face Befriendees make more Relief of loneliness and social Outcome socially isolated in isolation and to face and telephone connections with others isolation for befriendees Improvement Plan 2017- Skye and loneliness befriending service 2027 Lochalsh. • People in Highland will

Help people access • Emergency response benefit from good In particular we the support they initiatives for clients of mental health and support people need service wellbeing who: Befriendees immediate People feel more connected • People in the Highlands • Have a long- Support people to support networks are to their community will benefit from living in term condition build up protective • The development and expanded stronger, safer and factors delivery of initiatives that • Elderly more resilient • Living alone connect clients and communities • Bereaved Reconnect people volunteers to community activities to their communities Volunteering for All: Volunteers participate more national framework in the community Signposting to third • • The places and spaces Volunteers who sector groups and where we volunteer are deliver befriending community activities e.g. developed, supported services health and wellbeing and sustained

directory • There is an environment and culture which celebrates volunteers • Recruitment and support of volunteers and volunteering and all its benefit

How we work is central to achieving these outcomes

• We grow and nurture relationships • We value and support our volunteers • We listen to and care about our clients • We enrich client and volunteer experience through regular monitoring

SECTION 2 – Proving the links Outcome 1: Befriendees make to health inequalities more connections with others

The impact of our Who we try to reach service on a person’s well-being is measured Those who are socially isolated in the area through verbal and written feedback as of Skye, Lochalsh and Wester Ross. well as observations made by the befriender and the co-ordinator.

How we know we reach the The following quotes are typical of the type right people of feedback we receive from clients:

We gather information from clients when It’s good to have someone new to talk to. they are referred to us from local GPs, I am enjoying it. social workers, third sector organisations and families. It helps to know that there is someone

keeping an eye on you. This information shows that: • Many clients have long-term health conditions (74%) that restrict their It (the call) makes my day. ability to participate in group activities. This is often compounded by rural and remote places of residence and lack access to During the first Covid-19 lockdown we sent transport. growing packs to our clients and • At time of writing, 22% of clients volunteers. Feedback received after the were shielding due to Covid-19. project was encouraging and showed that • 81% of our clients live alone with a connections could also be maintained large proportion of these being over through written communications and the age of 85, which accounts for a activities Clients said: natural decline in their social network due to death of friends and Thank you for arranging all the lovely loved ones of a similar age group. telephone calls, it’s really helping to speak to strangers about my problems. All clients referred to our service have been identified as socially isolated, around 50% of these have acknowledged, during I think the befriender scheme is wonderful. conversations, that loneliness is one of their main reasons for taking the service.

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Outcome 2: Befriendees ➢ Due to a recent divorce one of our first clients had moved to a new immediate support networks community and was referred to the are expanded befrienders service as she had lost connections with friends and a wider Our service supports befriendees to support network. We matched her develop support networks. Establishing with a volunteer who provided her trusted connections between the client, with help and support to move to her volunteer befriender, co-ordinator and new house and to settle into the referrer, help to develop a safety network local area. He helped her with DIY for each client. Issues or concerns can be tasks in the new house. Eventually identified earlier and interventions taken this gave the client the confidence to sooner, which means over time a client’s volunteer for our organisation as a community of support will become stronger proof-reader and as a reporter for and more resilient. the Agricultural Society, which helped to widen her social network Observations made by the and she felt she no longer needed befriender and co-ordinator as the volunteer to visit her. well as the successful resolution of issues identified through our service tell While the majority of our clients remain us we achieve this outcome. Here are some with the service for the long-term, some do case studies from our work: discharge themselves when they feel ready. ➢ One of our clients was feeling particularly isolated and cut off, We also receive verbal feedback during the first Covid-19 lockdown. like this from befriendees: One of her main sources of relaxation is reading. However, due to ill health and the library being The people who have called me have been closed because of the covid-19 amazing, so kind and caring. I feel it is pandemic, she was finding it now time for me to move forward a bit more ''on my own'' as I am learning how increasingly difficult to source new to cope and deal with grief. So thank you,

books and reading material. We and the wonderful people who have matched her with a volunteer who called, and helped me during these last shared her love of books. They speak 11 weeks. once a week via telephone and the volunteer collects books from people in her local area and sends them to

the client via the fresh fish doorstep

delivery service. The volunteer also liaised with the library when it reopened to ensure the client was able to have her carer collect books from the library. This was of great

benefit to the client and helped her

greatly.

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Outcome 3: Volunteers participate more in the Communicating with people who are isolated and alone makes me feel as community though I am doing something to help and it makes me feel good about One of the key factors in social isolation is myself, I get a lot of enjoyment from it. retirement and living circumstances, 56% of our volunteers are retired or do not work, 25% of our befrienders decided to volunteer due to Covid-19 lockdown as Volunteering is much more than a they had more spare time to dedicate to caring commitment to one another volunteering and their regular social within our own Island community. For connections suddenly stopped. myself, I do believe it has been beneficial in that I feel I am

contributing by doing something Making connections with clients has allowed positive to help, however small that our volunteers to broaden their social might be. Volunteering helps to give network and build relationships with people my life structure and purpose. outside of their usual social group. As a volunteer befriender they gain access to a dedicated social media group where they can meet and build relationships with other I thoroughly enjoy making phone calls volunteers, enabling volunteers to to local people who live on their own strengthen their connection to the wider twice a week. I get to talk to a variety community. of amazing men and women, most of whom have lived on Skye for longer Volunteers feel valued being part than I have and have some wonderful tales. of this essential service; they have told us:

It has been good to feel involved and to contribute to the community, even if it is Here are videos of some of our volunteers in a very small way. I have enjoyed this talking about their experiences of very much; it has been good to talk to a befriending. range of different people in different parts of the Island, it is a good way of building links between people and

maintaining community spirit. At some

point all of us will need help from our neighbours.

Volunteering takes my mind off how much I am missing my own family. I feel I am

helping a little bit.

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Strategic priority We use existing research to prove our contribution to strategic priorities.

The Campaign to End Loneliness indicates loneliness is likely to increase an individual’s risk of death by 26% and is as bad for a person’s health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. By building up social connections for isolated people in our local area we know we are contributing directly to these strategic outcomes:

• People in Highland will benefit from good mental health and wellbeing • People in the Highlands will benefit from living in stronger, safer and more resilient communities

‘Social isolation and loneliness in Scotland: a review of prevalence and trends’ (2018) identifies nearly 73% felt not very much/not at all involved in the local community and 14% reported they had fewer than three people they could turn to for comfort and support in a personal crisis. Our work clearly helps volunteers to be more connected to their community. We also contribute to some of the Volunteering for All outcomes:

• The places and spaces where we volunteer are developed, supported and sustained • There is an environment and culture which celebrates volunteers and volunteering and all its benefit

If you want to explain and prove your contribution to tackling health inequalities please read “Recognising our rich tapestry: measuring the contribution of third sector organisations to tackling health inequalities” and follow the steps set out in the resource.

From the source to the sea: Understanding how befriending can help Health and Social Care Partnership address its priorities can help other befriending services measure and demonstrate their contribution to strategic level outcomes.

March 2021

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